This guide features some of the most unique spots on the Lower East Side so you can really get to know the unique character of the neighborhood and experience the best of what it offers that is distinctly New York.
Start your morning off right with a visit to the Clinton St. Baking Company. Hands down one of the best breakfasts in New York City so be thankful you are nearby and snag a table before it gets too crowded. The accolades “best pancakes” according to New York Magazine are warranted. It’s a delicious place and a very chill no frills space. Perfect for mornings!
The Tenement Museum is consistently highlighted as one of the more unique museums in the city. The mission is to celebrate the stories of immigrants that came to the United States including the many that settled in New York City and particularly on the Lower East Side. The museum offers tours of apartments that have been preserved and staged to represent different time periods and experiences.
Additionally the museum also offers neighborhood walking tours. If you love history and love the feeling of stepping into the past they offer a great experience.
Tours do book up so if you’re interested I’d suggest picking out the day and time and reserving some tickets ahead of time. You can do so here: https://www.tenement.org/tours/
If you are in need of a little afternoon pick-me-up or at the very least a nice distraction, head to Economy Candy. It’s an old school candy emporium. Emporium is really the only word to accurately describe it because of it’s massive selection as well as the very antiquated nature of a physical shop in Manhattan dedicated to items that cost 10 cents. It’s a gem.
If terms like ‘spicy beef ramen’, ‘sausage buns’ and ‘roasted shiitake’ make your mouth water then Momofuku is the spot for you. The Noodle Bar was the first restaurant in the Momofuku family. Now David Chang's food empire has ballooned but this spot still serves some of the originals that made the chain famous throughout New York, including fried chicken and caviar (upon special reservation) and of course pork buns.
Also, if you are a lover of fried chicken the noodle bar offers a special meal that required a little advanced planning. Fried chicken is Noodle Bar’s large format meal. It feeds 4-8 people. The meal includes two whole fried chickens, one southern style and one Korean style, and it comes with mu shu pancakes, baby carrots, red ball radishes, bibb lettuce, four sauces, and an herb basket. Guests are encouraged to eat as they please, from making wraps with the pancakes to eating the chicken straight-up. The southern style chicken is fried with buttermilk and spices. The Korean style chicken is triple fried and served with a light spicy glaze. More details here: https://momofukunoodlebar.com/east-village/menu/fried-chicken/
The Abrons Art Center offers are number of amazing shows and performances throughout the year. It's a smaller theater so you can usually catch interesting and eclectic performances. You can see what's on the calendar and buy tickets here: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/209
Regardless of where the rest of the night takes you, make sure any light night hunger pangs are cured at Katz’s. Open until 12AM on Friday and 24 hours on Saturday, Katz’s is one of the last remaining old school deli’s in New York. Get a ticket (because that’s a thing here) and exchange that ticket for some of the most delicious corned beef and pastrami you’ve had.
